Cook County Correctional Officer Dies of COVID-19, Officials Say

Published May 11, 2020•Updated on May 11, 2020 at 6:32 am

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A Cook County Jail correctional officer died Sunday of apparent complications of COVID-19.

Antoine Jones, 51, worked for the Cook County sheriff’s office since July 2002, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. He lived on the South Side and is survived by his wife and five adult children.

Officials said Jones was diagnosed with COVID-19 in late March and died from apparent complications of the virus, but an autopsy has not yet been performed to officially rule on his cause of death.

His death is considered a line-of-duty death and the sheriff’s office “will be strongly advocating that his family receive all the benefits that designation affords,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement.

Jones is the third correctional officer to die of complications related to the coronavirus, the sheriff’s office said.

As of Sunday evening, 89 correctional officers at the jail are positive for the virus, in addition to 32 other sheriff’s office employees, officials said. Another 275 employees who previously tested positive have since returned to work.

Seven detainees who tested positive for COVID-19 at the jail have died, according to the sheriff’s office. Currently, 236 detainees are positive for the virus, with six being treated at hospitals.

Another 291 are no longer considered positive for the virus and are being monitored at a recovery facility at the jail, the sheriff’s office said.